Kiprusoff, who was in the middle of all sorts of trade talk leading up to the deadline and was courted by the Toronto Maple Leafs but said he didn't want to be dealt and had his wishes granted by the Flames, is slated to return to the net when his team is back in action Friday in San Jose against the Sharks.

Head coach Bob Hartley said as much after his team's skate.

"He said that?" Kiprusoff responded when told of the head coach's words. "All right, then I am."

The Flames have a baker's dozen worth of games remaining, with mathematical elimination from playoff contention the next oncoming train in what's been a dismal and disappointing campaign.

They were nine points outside of a playoff spot prior to Thursday's action, so it's just a matter of time before they're officially dusted.

For Kiprusoff, it's 13 games, possibly the last of his NHL career, to put a reset on what's been the most tumultuous season since he came to Calgary early in the 2003-04 season.

"I'll keep doing the same thing. I'm not thinking about 'last 13', I'm thinking about (Friday) and that's it," Kiprusoff said after Thursday's practice at the Saddledome.

"That's how I've been doing it (my career). I had a good skate today and will try to help the team win in San Jose."

One of the NHL's best goalies over the past decade, Kiprusoff's season to forget started with some early-season struggles and then turned worse when he suffered a knee injury Feb. 5, which kept him out of action for a month.

With the pending trade deadline looming shortly after the birth of his son, Oskar, he asked the Flames not to trade him, although he did listen to overtures from the Toronto Maple Leafs in the hours leading up the deadline.

Through it all, he hasn't found his form while playing for a team that's been atrocious with its defensive play, sitting last in goals-against and likely worst in quality chances surrendered.

While many of his teammates deservedly awoke Thursday to having their pride questioned by the fan base -- and provided more quotes about knowing they have to show more (feel free to roll your eyes over that) -- Kiprusoff said he's turning a page.

"I don't know if it's a different feeling, but it was a different morning than the last few mornings, for sure. There was lots of stuff going on," he said.

"This morning was more like a normal practice-day morning."

What remains to be seen is what becomes normal for the Flames during their games the rest of the season.

They've been outclassed in each of the last three outings, the latest that 8-2 debacle at the hands of the rival Edmonton Oilers, a game in which backup netminder Joey MacDonald was essentially left to himself to prevent the visiting Oilers from reaching double digits.

The Flames have lost 11 consecutive road games, with only one of those defeats coming in extra time.

Kiprusoff, who has one more season remaining on his contract, with a $US1.5-million salary for the 2013-14 campaign, said he won't fully assess the season until it's over.

"Yeah, it's been a real tough season, but we still have games," he said. "We are in a hole we dug by ourselves and now we have to work as hard as we can (Friday), try to want it more than the other team to get that win. That's the way we need to do it. It's a little different situation, but we, as a team, have to do our job."